An Invincible Summer - A Woman's Journey

Went to an ACA speaker meeting Saturday night. I couldn’t hear so no idea whether it was good or not. In the long church pew ahead of me was a single occupant. A woman about 30ish. She was inexpertly dressed, and her hair was a home dye job and her makeup could use a little help from a pro and, truthfully, all I wanted to do was go sit with her and tell her how beautiful she looked. She was beautiful because she was being her own true self. I didn’t sit with her. I don’t know if I could have done it without making her uncomfortable about the big feelings I was having. You see, my trans daughter is trying to be her very best womanly self too. She is putting herself out there day after day, being vulnerable and hoping for, in not complete and unabashed acceptance, then at least decency in return. She is a good human, kind, thoughtful and caring but that is not always what she gets in return. The other day she went to a women’s only yoga class. She checked it out carefully. It did not say...

My youngest texted me the other day to say she wanted to facetime in an hour. She lovingly let me know it was nothing bad, just something she wanted to share. When we finally get connected, my Gigi said that she had a client that was processing so she called her Pop and asked him to come over and visit for awhile. They went next-door and got a coffee and then went to the salon's back room to chat. She says to me, "Look what he gave me." and points to a necklace that is a tiny wrench with a little gemstone. She smiles and says that it doesn't matter what her father gives her, that she loves it no matter what because she knows he puts thought in to it. She puts that wrench right around her neck to show him how much she loves it. This girl is so tender with that man. I do not believe that she has one ounce of resentment about what happened. She accepts, has forgiven and loves him completely. Amazing! The subject of our trans daughter comes up in their conversation. He sa...

I've been waiting to write about this for awhile. Up till now it was not ok to share. Now it is. When people have asked me if I have kids my answer has always been, "Yes, two and two with bookend girls. That has changed in the last 3 months (or perhaps it was never what I thought). My third child, my precocious, intelligent, articulate, bright, confounding third child is a woman born in a man's body. She has started the transition process and is getting support from friends, family and work. Her process is not mine so I won't speak of what she is going through, good or bad, when it doesn't involve me. I am one to make assumptions and judgements and to hear what I want to hear to put this mom heart at ease. Her story is best told by her. Boy Scout and I are educating ourselves and trying to move out of the "in my day" nonsense to true acceptance and love without question. It can be confusing....all of it, and it can be hard to know where to draw the line o...